Share out in the comments below:
-Your name and your current role
-What did you want to be when you were growing up?
-What are your favorite project management tools and technologies? Or ones that you’d like to learn more about?
-What drew you to the project management industry? What's kept you in it?
-What's your proudest accomplishment (personal or professional)?
Looking forward to connecting with you all and hearing your stories! Saving Changes...
Peter ConsidineMarketing & Creative Project ManagerTucson, Arizona, United States
Hi gang. I'm Pete, newly minted PMP as of a week ago. I've been in and around the printing and publishing industry for a REALLY long time (30 years next July).
Up until I graduated art school, the only thing I ever wanted to be was an artist. Of course, once I was out in the world with nothing but a BFA and a prayer, I realized that maybe I hadn't thought it through well enough.
When it comes to tools, the most effective tool I've ever had was a steno pad right next to the phone at my desk. I've since been diagnosed with autism and ADHD, so perhaps there may be more to it that it seems on the surface. That said, I've done a lot of admin work on a lot of different programs and platforms, so I don't really have a favorite, per se. Given that every company has its preference, I try to stay nimble when it comes to tools because I assume I will have to pick up something new every time I change jobs.
As far as what got me into project management, it was basically an accident. I had been working as a production manager at an ad agency but got tired of working for someone who had absolutely zero ethics, so I jumped ship. I wound up landing at a comp house in the educational publishing industry. Originally, I thought it would be like production at the agency, but I was so VERY wrong about that. My first project (which was actually a program by definition) consisted of 27 individual titles and about 17,000 pages produced by the end. That was in 2007 and it's still what I consider my proudest moment.
My name is Luan Garcia Rodrigues, and I am an Electrical Engineer and Project Manager based in Brazil. I have around four years of experience delivering energy infrastructure and construction projects, including substation expansions with budgets exceeding US$50 million.
When I was growing up, like many Brazilians, I dreamed of becoming a professional football player and sharing the field with my idols. Engineering and project management were never part of the plan, but I’m grateful for where this journey has taken me.
My favorite project management tools are MS Project, Excel, and Power BI. Currently, I’m also exploring how Artificial Intelligence can help project managers become more strategic and efficient.
What drew me to project management was the opportunity to bring people, technology, and resources together to create something meaningful. What keeps me in the profession is the challenge of solving complex problems and delivering results that create real value for society.
One of my proudest professional accomplishments was helping lead the recovery of a major substation expansion project in southern Brazil after the devastating floods of 2024, coordinating multiple stakeholders to get the project back on track.
One of my long-term goals as a project manager is to contribute to society through energy, infrastructure, and sustainability initiatives.
Looking forward to connecting and learning from all of you! Saving Changes...
Sarvesh Kumar UpadhyayEmbedded QA Engineer| Interel Building AutomationDubai, DU, United Arab Emirates
Name & Current Role: I’m Sarvesh Kumar Upadhyay, a QA Lead and Project Manager currently based in Dubai, UAE. I have over 12 years of experience leading cross-functional engineering teams and driving end-to-end quality assurance and project delivery across web, mobile, embedded, and IoT systems.
What I wanted to be growing up: Having always been drawn to how things work, I pursued a deep path in technology, earning my Master of Computer Applications (MCA) and advanced NIELIT diplomas. Growing up, I wanted to build and refine technology that makes a real-world impact—a dream I’ve been fortunate to realize by launching complex IoT systems and groundbreaking assistive technology.
Favorite PM tools & technologies: On the project management and tracking side, JIRA is a staple for my Agile/Scrum workflows and sprint coordination. On the technical side, I specialize in combining project execution with cutting-edge tools and frameworks—ranging from automation with Selenium and performance testing via JMeter, to managing infrastructure using AWS cloud services (EC2, S3, Lambda) and Dockerized applications within CI/CD pipelines.
What drew me to the project management industry? What's kept me in it: I was drawn by the challenge of bridging the gap between technical complexity and structured execution. What keeps me here is the thrill of optimization—whether that’s reducing a regression cycle time by 25% or aligning stakeholder expectations to hit a 95–100% on-time delivery metric. I love taking high-stakes, cross-functional engineering streams and guiding them safely to a defect-controlled release.
Proudest accomplishment: Professionally, it’s a tie between earning my PMP® certification to formalize my leadership experience, and receiving an appreciation from IIT Delhi for my contributions to launching India's first Braille Laptop—a project that truly used technology to change lives. Saving Changes...
My name is Prashant Sahu, and I currently work as a Project Manager, leading accessibility and content-related projects while coordinating cross-functional teams and client deliverables.
My favorite project management tool is Microsoft Jira. I'm also interested in learning more about AI-powered project management tools, automation platforms, and advanced portfolio management solutions.
What drew me to project management was the opportunity to bring people, processes, and ideas together to achieve meaningful outcomes. What has kept me in the field is the continuous learning, the variety of challenges, and the satisfaction of helping teams deliver successful projects.
My proudest professional accomplishment has been earning my PMP certification while balancing full-time work and multiple project responsibilities. It reinforced the value of discipline, continuous learning, and professional growth.
Looking forward to learning from everyone in this community! Saving Changes...
RASHAD Z R ALSAKNITechnical Project Manager| Emirates Computers Company LLCAbu Dhabi, AZ, United Arab Emirates
Hello everyone,
My name is Rashad, and my background is in Software Engineering. I have over four years of experience in Project Management, leading IT Infrastructure and Network-related projects, including initiatives supporting government entities in the United Arab Emirates. Currently, I serve as a Project Manager within a government organization.
Alongside my full-time role, I have had the privilege of building and managing several successful private ventures across Egypt, Jordan, and Gaza, Palestine—my birthplace. These experiences have given me valuable exposure to different industries, cultures, and ways of solving problems.
Growing up, I dreamed of becoming a cardiac surgeon. I was deeply inspired by Professor Magdi Yacoub and fascinated by the impact one person could have on improving lives. Although my academic results qualified me for that path, circumstances related to my home country prevented me from pursuing medical studies abroad.
My transition from engineering into project management happened naturally. What attracted me most to the profession was its dynamic nature—no two projects are ever the same. I also discovered that many people around me naturally looked to me for leadership, coordination, and decision-making. Project management became the perfect environment to combine technical expertise, leadership, and strategic thinking.
Over the years, I have worked with several project management solutions, including Jira and Microsoft tools. Eventually, I designed and built my own project management system tailored to my needs and working style. I value structure and governance, but I also appreciate the freedom to innovate and create solutions beyond conventional limitations when appropriate.
One of my unique strengths is the combination of Project Management, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and Software Engineering. This multidisciplinary background allows me to bridge the gap between technology and business while leading complex technical initiatives.
Outside of work, I am passionate about personal and professional development. I enjoy working out, playing football, traveling, exploring new places, experiencing different cultures, and trying new restaurants and cuisines. I strongly believe that growth comes from experience, curiosity, and stepping outside our comfort zones.
A few principles that guide my life are:
• “Climb the mountain to see the world, not so the world can see you.” • “Life belongs to those who dare.” • “Hesitation is the graveyard of opportunity.” • “Pain is part of growth.” • “You are responsible for the effort, not the outcome.” • “A person never truly fails until they stop trying.”
I look forward to learning from this community, sharing experiences, and connecting with fellow project management professionals around the world. Saving Changes...
Hi everyone! I’m Summer Walker, a Strategic Design Director, Owner’s Representative, and capital project leader with a career path that’s been anything but conventional.
I started in the music industry working in artist development, A&R, creative direction, and operations management, helping shape early career strategy and creative execution for major artists and entertainment brands. That world eventually evolved into designing and building creative environments, leading studio builds, branded activations, experiential spaces, and recording environments connected to Spotify, Atlantic Records, Nike, Volvo, Target, and other major brands.
From there, I transitioned deeper into architecture, interiors, and capital project leadership, ultimately stepping into Owner’s Representative and Strategic Design Director roles on high value residential, commercial, and creative campus developments across Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Houston. My work has included everything from recording studios and entertainment spaces to multimillion dollar mixed use and creative campus projects, managing developments from early vision and entitlement strategy through construction administration and closeout.
What makes my perspective unique is that I come from both the creative and operational sides of the table. I understand branding, storytelling, and user experience just as deeply as budgeting, consultant coordination, contractor negotiations, value engineering, scheduling, and stakeholder management. I love being in the space where design vision meets execution strategy.
Right now I’m expanding into the development side of the industry and pursuing a BS in Construction Management at the University of Houston with a Process and Industrial specialization, while preparing for a dual degree path with Texas A&M focused on development, construction leadership, and large scale project delivery. Long term, my goal is to bridge design intelligence, capital project execution, and real estate development into one integrated practice.
Excited to connect with fellow PMs, builders, strategists, developers, and creatives here. If you’re working on projects that push culture, design, construction, innovation, or community impact forward, I’d genuinely love to connect! Saving Changes...
Greetings for all My name is AL AKAM, and my current role is Electrical Construction Lead (E&I) at KBR, where I oversee construction and field personnel, manage brownfield and power generation projects, develop work packages for E&I activities, and ensure alignment between engineering, procurement, and construction teams to meet HSE, cost, schedule, and quality objectives. Growing up, I was drawn to understanding how things work, which led me to pursue electrical engineering. Regarding project management tools, my experience includes using reporting systems, risk registers, NCRs, two‑week look‑ahead programs, and resource‑based Level 4 scheduling; I’m keen to learn more about advanced analytics platforms and integrated digital twin solutions. I was drawn to project management because of the opportunity to coordinate multidisciplinary teams, solve complex field problems, and deliver tangible results in high‑voltage energy projects—what has kept me in it is the satisfaction of seeing a project through from planning to commissioning, especially under tight safety and quality standards. My proudest accomplishment, professionally, is successfully leading major energy projects (e.g., with Siemens Energy and MoE, and now KBR) while maintaining budget and schedule, and personally, earning my Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering while balancing full‑time work. Saving Changes...
Hello everyone, My name is Kubilay Cakir, and I am a Program and Transformation Leader with more than 20 years of experience leading large-scale technology and business transformation initiatives across multiple industries and countries. I hold a degree in Electronics Engineering and an MBA, and throughout my career I have had the opportunity to work with global organizations, helping them deliver complex programs involving transformation and rescued a few more transformation programs stuck in purgatory.
Also having an active involvement in Strategic Consulting/Advisory, my passion is bringing people, processes, and technology together to solve complex business challenges. Outside of work, I enjoy music, history, travel, and continuous learning and in another life I was a professional musician. I look forward to connecting with fellow PMI members, sharing experiences, and learning from this outstanding community.
Regards
Kubilay
Saving Changes...
Betty JonathanBIM Project Architect| Gruppo SimeonVenice, Italy
Hi Everyone,
I love architecture and my dream is to build the type of buildings that listen to the earth and co-exists effortlessly with nature in a way that tells a beautiful story of harmony and wonder. I love Japanese traditional architecture like the Takayama Gassho-zukuri Farmhouse and I deeply appreciate African architecture works that reminds us that the key to sustainability lies in the way our ancestors built.
I am currently pursuing the PMI-CP certification with the aim of upskilling and I am open to collaborating (part time and in remote / hybrid mode) with professionals in the industry. If you are just as passionate about local cultural architecture and sustainability practices through SMART processes and technologies, kindly connect with me and let's have meaningful conversations.
Grateful to be a part of this growing global community. Saving Changes...
Emeka MoronuMaintenance Support Manager| Heineken OpCo (Nigerian Breweries)Surulere, LA, Nigeria
Good day, colleagues. My name is Emeka Moronu, PMP, and I currently serve as Project Program Manager at Nigerian Breweries, a Heineken operating company. Over the past decade, I’ve led major engineering and sustainability initiatives across multiple brewery sites, focusing on energy efficiency, water conservation, and process optimization. Most recently, I managed the Condensate Recovery & Steam Line Optimization Project at the Lagos Brewery, a €190,000 program designed to improve condensate recovery from 84% to over 90%, reduce boiler operating pressure, and achieve an 8% reduction in thermal energy consumption within one year. My career spans roles in maintenance management, utilities engineering, and packaging line leadership, where I’ve consistently delivered measurable results — including reductions in water use, thermal energy, and CO₂ emissions across Nigerian Breweries’ operations. I am also a Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional (CMRP) and Certified Energy Manager (CEM), with a strong passion for embedding sustainability into project delivery. I look forward to sharing insights, learning from your experiences, and collaborating on how project management can continue to drive operational excellence and sustainable impact across industries Saving Changes...
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